


The Heart of the Soul

by blue_pointer



Series: A Glorious Retelling [51]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: A Traveler's Gamble, Blood Elf Decor, Brass Dragon, Canon Non-Binary Character, Canon Timeline, Denial, Don't copy to another site, Draconic Presence, Dragons, Etiquette Fail, M/M, Metallic Dragon!Gilmore, Minor Shaun Gilmore/Vax'ildan, Not Canon Compliant, POV Vax'ildan, Presents, Scanlan or Vex, Smart Grog, Spoilers, Threats, Twins, Vax the genius, When your rogue fails his fear check, Wishful Thinking, cobalt golem, courtly manners, fanboy Percy, heights, minor J'mon Sa Ord/Shaun Gilmore, pronoun confusion, sassy dragons, who's right?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_pointer/pseuds/blue_pointer
Summary: J’mon Sa Ord needs to speak with Vax alone.
Relationships: Vax'ildan & Vex'ahlia (Critical Role), Vox Machina & Vox Machina
Series: A Glorious Retelling [51]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975831
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	The Heart of the Soul

As they watched the cobalt golem climb the minaret to resume its post, a wide smile spread over Percy’s face. “Marvelous piece of engineering!”

“We have many throughout the palace,” the dragon said, as if it were nothing. To Vax its tone sounded similar to the way a beautiful woman in a designer gown might say, ‘What, this old thing?’

“Your technology is impressive, your craftsmanship beyond anything I have ever seen.” Percy was still gushing like a fanboy. “And there is nothing more pleasing than a monarch with a sense of humour. Bless you.”

Devo’ssa’s benign expression was suddenly tinged with annoyance. “My patience for your honeyed words grows thin. Now, be on your way. I suspect when the time comes to call on me, you’d best be ready. Now.” Before their eyes, the gargantuan dragon shrank down to its lithe humanoid form once more. The emperor walked back to their throne and sat, legs crossed, one arm leaning on the armrest, the universal body language for boredom. 

“Should we ask how to tell if someone else is a dragon...if there’s a tell?” Grog whispered to the rest of Vox Machina. 

“He won’t tell,” Percy said. “Because...I think that’s their secret.”

“Oh.” Grog looked a little awkward. “Right.” As far as Vax was concerned, though, it had been a good idea, for the record. Point to Grog.

“Thank you,” his sister said, and bowed to the emperor.

“Thank you,” Vax echoed. 

Percy walked out, and they all followed, doing their best to back deferentially into the elevator. Well, all but Grog, who just turned and walked away like the barbarian he was. Seeing Vex’ahlia struggling due to her chest wound, Vax helped support her, casting Lay on Hands through his arm around her shoulders as they went. 

Vax made sure everyone else had made it into the elevator before stepping through, a paranoid rogue’s habit. And just as they were about to descend, he heard the emperor call out behind them, “Wait. You, boy. Come here.” 

Vax had his back to them, and yet he knew they were talking to him. Knew it in his bones. Not just because no one ever called Grog or Percy ‘boy,’ but because they said ‘boy’ the same way Gilmore said ‘boy.’ So did that mean... this was an invitation? Was Vax allowed to decline?

“Well, go on!” his sister hissed. “Maybe they have money to give us or something.” Typical Vex. 

“Maybe they want a little sum’n sum’n,” Scanlan said, miming something very lewd indeed. Vax didn’t get the chance to tell him to go to hell before the elevator doors closed and he could hear the whooshing sound that meant he was now utterly alone with a giant brass dragon. 

Vax turned around slowly, just glimpsing the emperor walking out onto the terrace. Curious, he followed. Out on the balcony, he trailed J’mon up a narrow, curving stair that was made of the same transparent gemstone as the walls of the palace. And though heights didn’t generally bother Vax, he refused to look down, knowing just how high they must be by now. Instead, he focused on the emperor’s knee-length, jet-black hair, which swayed gently as they climbed. But Vax could feel the wind rocking the building and the staircase, and kept a death grip on the rail. 

Finally they reached another onion-shaped chamber, and Vax followed J’mon inside. This room was much smaller, with ruby gauze and silver silk fabrics blowing in the wind. The floor was covered with intricately woven carpets, and translucent amethyst walls looked out over the city. And maybe Scanlan was psychic, because against the far wall of the room, there was a curtained bed made in sumptuous brocade silk, decorated with crimson pillows with golden tassels. 

“I have a gift for you to take back to Tal’Dorei,” J’mon said, not even so much as glancing back at Vax. He heaved a sigh of relief. Seems like Vex’ahlia had been right this time. But he wondered, was this really the emperor’s bedroom? It looked more sparse than Vax would have imagined--not that he was in the habit of imagining people’s bedrooms or anything. 

“You’re very generous, your highness,” Vax said, trying to remember what courtly manners were, or if he’d ever known any. 

“I am,” J’mon said, plainly. “But this is not a gift for you, nor your party of travelers.”

“Oh,” Vax said, feeling stupid. “Well then why give it to us?” 

“This is for someone you know,” J’mon said, holding up a lacquer jewelry box with the most fantastic, detailed painting on the sides. Vax only had enough time to make out a unicorn outlined in gold before the emperor opened the box. Inside were two rows of jewels; Vax wasn’t sure exactly what kind at first. They were too small to be rings; perhaps earrings? Deep blue sapphires and amethysts so dark they almost looked black had been cleverly arranged into sprays of tiny, delicate roses. When J’mon withdrew one from the box, Vax could see the gold bands on the back. They reminded him of the jeweled ornaments Gilmore liked to wear in his hair. Was that what these were? The gemstones shimmered in the dim light, and Vax knew his sister would be losing her mind right now over how much they must be worth. 

But, after showing them off, J’mon merely closed the lid and passed the box to Vax. “Give it to him,” they said, “and he will understand.” 

Vax wracked his brain for who he knew back home that the fucking emperor of Ank’Harel would want to send a gift. Obviously, it wasn’t Gilmore. Gilmore had just been a teenager when he’d left Marquet, and he hadn’t even lived in Ank’Harel. 

Perhaps it was Jarett. No, Jarett didn’t wear hair ornaments, and he’d said he’d been in trouble with the law when he left. So who could it be? Allura? She seemed the sort to catch an emperor’s eye. No, wait. They’d said ‘he’. 

...No. It couldn’t be. There had to be 100 important men back in Tal’Dorei that J’mon Sa Ord would want to send a gift. All the same, Vax figured he’d better make damn sure he got it to the right one. “Er. Whom shall I give it to, your majesty?” 

The dragon turned and stared at him, their night-black eyes making Vax feel uneasy, while the burning flames of their pupils made him feel like he might piss his pants with fear. He found himself wishing the emperor had not looked at him at all. “The person you imagine,” they said.

“A--alright,” Vax said. Could J’mon read minds? What if Vax was wrong, and he didn’t find out until later when he got home and offered Gilmore a present he would no doubt be thrilled to receive? 

No, wait.  _ Gilmore would love these. _

...Of course these were for Gilmore. Who else wore hair jewels like this? It was almost like the emperor knew him personally.  _ Wait… _

“And what do you have for me?” J’mon asked, the full weight of their stare making Vax hold his breath. The flawlessness of their dark sienna skin, those pronounced cheekbones... If Vax weren’t so scared, he might be overcome by their attractiveness.

“What...me?” Vax pointed at himself stupidly. What did he have? What did that mean? Had Scanlan been right? Oh gods, was this really happening?

“Did he not give you something to bring me?” the emperor asked. And Vax’s mind was a clean white slate of stagefright. 

“Give...me?” he echoed.  _ You’ll know them when you see them.  _ Oh gods. His sister had assumed Gilmore had meant ‘they’ plural, when he must have meant ‘they’ singular. Vax’ildan’s teeth began to chatter as the dragon’s gaze became more intense, and they started to look displeased. “Oh--oh wait, yes. Yes he did, only. We...we left it with Gilmore’s parents. We thought--er. We didn’t think we’d be able to get an audience with you.” 

Their nostrils flared. And then they nodded what Vax hoped was a dismissal, closing their eyes. 

“We’re very sorry, your highness. Very…” Vax said, backing from the room the way Percival had showed Grog to do earlier (though Grog had fucked it up). 

He thought he was in the clear when Vax could feel the door at his back, but suddenly J’mon was right in his face. It was terrifying. Vax hadn’t even seen them move. The dragon gripped his upper arm, pulling him close--too close. Maybe Scanlan had been right after all? 

“Keep in mind,” they whispered. “I could have you killed at any time.” And with that, they let go, their mood shifting back to regal disinterest.

Vax nearly fell backwards down the stairs. He needed to change his pants. That had been one of the single most brick-shitting moments of his life. 

“You may return to your friends,” the emperor told him, turning away, done.

Vax couldn’t get back down the narrow stair fast enough. What the fuck did that even mean? Were they threatening him so Vox Machina would behave while they were in the city? Was it a personal threat against Vax, to make sure he would do what they’d asked? Or did the emperor just like to be threatening in general? 

Back in the throne room, Vax sprinted across to the elevator, where the Grand Maven was back, waiting for him. But as the elevator descended, Vax wondered. Had that really just happened? Gilmore knew the emperor of Ank’Harel? In a way that made jewelry an appropriate gift on both sides? No. No, he refused to believe it. Vax glanced at the Grand Maven, briefly considering asking her. But, no. No, there was only one person he could ask about this. 

Back in the waiting room, Vax rushed past his friends, wanting to get out of the palace as quickly as possible before J’mon thought of any more threats they wanted to issue. “What the hell’s got into you?” Vex asked, striding quickly after him. 

Scanlan reprised his rude gesture, indicating what he felt had “gotten into” Vax. 

Once they were out on the street, Vax turned to the others. “I think we’d better watch our arses while we’re in Marquet. Sounds like someone will be watching us.” 

“Well, better to know than not,” Percival said, being insufferable as always. Still, Vax couldn’t help but wonder: had J’mon meant they could have Vax  _ specifically _ killed, or all of them? He felt like he’d only just managed to dodge a bullet. 


End file.
